Minister
Salary

The majority of Ministers in the United States — around three in five — boast more than 10 years of experience in their profession. Salaries stretch from $24K to $72K per year, and the median is $45K per year. Career duration is the biggest factor affecting pay for this group, followed by the company and geographic location. The larger part enjoy medical while nearly one-fourth get dental coverage. Vision coverage is also available to one-seventh. Job satisfaction is high and work is enjoyable for most Ministers. Male Ministers far outnumber their female contemporaries among those who completed the questionnaire. The data for this snapshot was collected from individuals who took PayScale's salary survey.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Minister

There are many varieties of positions as a minister, ranging from church minister to more specialized positions such as military chaplain. However, the minister's general role is to provide their community with spiritual and religious support. This role involves regular public speaking, with the number of weekly services varying depending on the needs of the minister's community; additionally, these professionals speak during memorial services and community event. Administrative duties performed by the minister include hiring, training, budgeting, and organizing meetings. They may also perform a supervisory role for other members of the church staff.

Ministers' work environments vary greatly, although it is generally indoors within a church. This job may present stresses in dealing with the needs of the community, and it requires excellent patience and compassion at all times. Ministers' work hours depend on scheduling needs, but ministers must maintain an active relationship with the community at all times and be available to deal with congregant emergencies as they arise.

Many minister positions require a degree in divinity studies; this may include a master’s degree or seminary school. Ordination and/or state licensing may be required. Experience is generally required or preferred as well. Ministers must have excellent knowledge of theological matters and the needs of their congregation and community.

Common Career Paths for Minister

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At the upper end, Ministers who move into an Non-Profit Executive Director role can end up with a hefty increase in pay. The average income for Non-Profit Executive Directors is $59K per year. Ministers moving up in their careers tend to step into positions as Senior Pastors or Head Ministers. The median paychecks in those roles are $5K higher and $6K higher, respectively.

Minister Job Listings

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Popular Employer Salaries for Minister

Church of Christ pays the most with a median salary of $45K, though with a large amount of variation, going from a low of $17K to a high of $71K.

Christian Church offers the least money; the median income there is just $35K. The pay range is also pretty narrow, as compensation generally sits between $24K and $59K.

Popular Skills for Minister

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Ministers note just a narrow range of job skills. Most notably, skills in Public Speaking, Administration, Counseling, and People Management are correlated to pay that is above average. Skills that are correlated to lower pay, on the other hand, include People Management and Counseling. Those educated in Counseling tend to be well versed in Administration.

Pay by Experience Level for Minister

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For Ministers, experience does not seem to be a major factor in determining pay. Workers in their first five years can expect to earn $37K, but people who have been around for five to 10 years earn a noticeably bigger sum of $44K. Ministers with one to two decades of relevant experience report an average salary of approximately $50K. Folks who have racked up more than 20 years in the field report incomes that aren't that much higher than less experienced individuals' earnings; the veterans make just $52K on average.